Detained activists released: Sea Shepherd

Benjamin Potts (l) and Giles Lane (r) are now on board the Australian customs ship the Oceanic Viking.

Institute of Cetacean Research

The Sea Shepherd organisation says two of their members are now aboard the Australian Customs ship the Oceanic Viking after being held for two days on a Japanese whaling ship.

Crew members on the Sea Shepherd's ship, the Steve Irwin, say they have received confirmation from Australian Customs officials that Benjamin Potts and Giles Lane were been picked up from the Yushin Maru II in the early hours of this morning.

They say they will meet the customs boat the Oceanic Viking at a rendezvous point in the Southern Ocean later this morning, when the men will be transferred back to the Steve Irwin.

Mr Potts and Mr Lane have been held by the Japanese crew since they boarded the ship on Tuesday to deliver a letter of protest against the Japanese fleet's whaling activities.

The executive director of Sea Shepherd, Kim McCoy, says the group will continue their protest against the Japanese whale hunt once the men are aboard.

"The moment we get them back on board we plan to resume what we came here to do, which is enforcing international conservation law," she said.

"Now more than ever it's imperative that we get right back on track immediately and go out and intervene against the illegal activities of the Japanese fleet."

Ms McCoy says they expect to pick up their colleagues from the customs boat in a matter of hours.

"We received confirmation, and I've since spoken with one of the hostages who's no longer being held hostage, on board the Oceanic Viking, and he confirmed that they're both completely safe," she said.

"They're on the Oceanic Viking and they're just going to give them a place to sleep until we can pick them up in the morning at a rendezvous point."